Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1887-08-09
THE ELECTRICAL RAILWAY.
\ Suggestion for II Change in the Route on
the South Side,

\ Suggestion for II Change in the Route on
the South Side.
To he EIty- Of The Register:
SIR: Many years ago a company was
formed here 10 build street railway, and
with hurrah an ordinance was rushed
through Council granting the company
certain privileges for q term Of gourS, which
worked more injury to part Of our
people than all the benefits which resulted
from the construction OF the road. The
expiration OF the time OF the grant was
halled with delight by almost everybody,
and Council was compelled by public
opinion to place some restrictions on the
company before a renewal of its grant
could be had Council will, before long,
pass an ordinance granting the peJpttUm
mot for term OF years use of many OF
our streets to a company to build an eleC.
trical railway on them This company Is
composed, in part. OF the same men who
slddled on us the Citizens Railway Com
pany, with ali its tyranny and disregard
of the pubiic'S wishes and wants.
We do not wish to try to Interfere be
tween Council and this new company in
the passage oi the Ordinance. That would
be folly. The members of Council have
been worked up to the point OF believing
that Wheelng's salvation depends on tas-
tening forever an untried experiment on
our streets, and on the streets it will 20
without any power reserved by Council 10
cause It's removal lift uldprOyea failure,
or the streets wanted in years to come for
some other road.
The facts that no large cities have rs yet
adopted this greatest OF all blessings in the
way OF street railways; that Minneapolis,
after laying four squares Of electrical rail
way, finished the route with motor line;
that Baltimore. after huildiugan electrical
railway along several squares, abandoned
il: that i'm cities and towns where this rail-
way has been laid the streets have been
practically deserted by drivers OF horses
owing to the noise OF the engines; that this
new road will only extend from the Bel
mont bridge to FOrty-eighth street, leaving
more than mile and a half Of the uppcr
part of Wheeling without any competition
with the street railway all 20 for nothing
We did not commence tins article, Mr..
Editor, To- interfere, but with desire to
try, II possible, Ia induce Council to secure
/ the free and unrestricted use of Eoil
street. from Twcnty-Seycnth 10 Thirty
ninth streets. lor our people This street
| has buen paved, III the last two years, at Il
cost ui thirty thousand dollars. 1t Is the
only paved outlet for the city ia 4 southcr-
/ w direction. and Is used by all persons
/ passing tu aud lroi the Eighth ward and
| Beuwood The street il but little more
| than twcuty.right feet in width between
the curbs, and il five feet he taken from
| the central part for Il street car track, but
| little more than eleven feet will he left in
which TO manage u frightened horse or
| horses while passing an electrical engine
/ Will not this cause many serious accidents
/ both 10 horses amt drivers, and is Council
/ Justified in granting the list ul Eoll street
/ To this company il such things are prOJd5tf
or po>Sjb',' To guard against this and at
/ the same time tn protect the city's inter
| eSts in the street pavement, II Is suggested
| that the Electrical Compauys ordinance
be SO amended that its route Will he down
! Jacob from rwrnty-Sgveuth t. Thirty
/ third east on Thirty-thiri to Wood and
| down Wood to F0rty-luurth.
This change will require the company Ia
build cheap bridge over Caldwell : run,
and to purchase twenty feet of vacant
ground east of Hewitt's old tavern. If the
company goes down Eoil' street much
more expensive bridge will have to he
huilr. as the present one is not strong
enough to carry heavy engines over 1t and
provisions would have to be made in a new
one Tor the gas and water main. The cost
of part of the Hewitt lot would be hut a
small premium for the company TO pay,
for the many and valuable privileges, which
are granted to it by the city. The f. * O..
| Company will make less objection to Il
crossing of its tracks At Jacob street than
mt Eoh street, where are high telegraph
J poles and gates.
/ II this route is objected TO by the new
company, after receiving perpetual use OF
our streets and IN exemption from taxa
| ton for the majority Of ITS stockholders in
defiance of law, will Councilman please to
remember that those of our citizens who
are compelled to use horses and vehicles,
and rho ARE mt exempted from furGiiou, are
entitled TO some consideration At their
| hands and that obey insist that one street
| shall be kept for their use. They insist
/ that il is poor way TO boom the old
town by breaking peoples necks
ETgITTU w ann